What're you drinking right now?

[Bytowner]

I think Belgian has said elsewhere that BDC actually ages quite well. With the bombers, do they need to be laid on their sides seeing as they're corked and all?

[SteelbackGuy]

I think Belgian has said elsewhere that BDC actually ages quite well. With the bombers, do they need to be laid on their sides seeing as they're corked and all?

I've heard from people (mostly wine people) that any corked product should be laid on the side, as to keep the cork wet, but I have also heard from people that this is false, and actually accomplishes nothing.

I think Gary had spoken about this at one point, but I can't find the thread.

Anyone else know?

[Derek]

I think Belgian has said elsewhere that BDC actually ages quite well. With the bombers, do they need to be laid on their sides seeing as they're corked and all?

Personally, I wouldn't age a wheat beer. I think it's actually best when it's fresh from a tap!

[JesseM]

I've also got a couple bottles of Trois Pistoles that are now exactly a year old. I'm wondering how those will be in another little while. To be honest, TP didn't blow me away like I hoped it would the first time I had it. Maudite will always be my favourite, it was my 'break-through' Belgian strong ale .

[old faithful]

Had a couple of samplers tonight at Volo.

Barley Days Summer Light Ale was superb, it had a clean, mineral-clove- like taste, a lovely beer that struck me as being in the kolsch style. Don't miss it.

Wellington County's Imperial Stout was fresh and tasty, almost room temperature too (fine by me), but I don't get an Impy taste from it. It is more like a strongish English medium stout.

Durham's Hop Addict was rich, clean and full of West Coast hop, like an 1980's California pale ale bought up to a higher amperage.

Nickelbrook's (unflavoured) while ale was an exemplary beer in the Belgian white tradition. Beautifully rounded with a faint taste of appley ester even though no apples were used. A session beer par excellence. The other day I had a Hoegaarden and Nickelbrook's effort easily outpaced it in my opinion.

Only Neustadt's porter seemed behind the pack to me, a little feisty and, well, untogether (although in good condition as were all the beers).

(I had the Barley Days twice).

These are very fine beers that 10 years ago (even 5) were not available or not in the faultless condition I found tonight. Ontario makes the best anywhere now you can get.

Gary

[toweringpine]

Starbucks Dark Roast.

I had plenty of brew earlier at the festival but now it is time for some coffee!

[Bobsy]

Starbucks Dark Roast.

I had plenty of brew earlier at the festival but now it is time for some coffee!

Coffee here too... a beer geek breakfast!

[Jan Primus]

Peche Mortel at Volo tonight...been wanting to try this for years and it did not dissapoint!

Hey Gary, were you sitting on the patio tonight? Seen a guy having samplers was wonderin if it was a fellow bartoweller.

[old faithful]

Yes it was me. Saw you order that, I might try it next time. Would have said hi, didn't know you were a beer fan too. The weather was perfect to be on the patio, crisp, bright and warm.

Gary

[Bobsy]

How much are the samplers at volo these days? Sounds like a good way to introduce friends to new styles. Finishing the night off with a horn dog barleywine and some joy divison. I have 2 exams tomorrow - what a crap way to spend a saturday.

[old faithful]

A sampler is 3 glasses of 5 ounces each, for $5.00. Well worth it to try a variety. I never used to do it but I decided where a pub permits it to do this more often because sometimes I don't like something new (or old) that I am trying. With the sampler you reduce the risk. After the first sampler I should have had a full pint of the Barley Days but I decided to try further beers. Might go back later today, I was impressed by the Barley Days not just for its body and balance but its good taste.

Gary

[Jan Primus]

I'll keep an eye out for you next time I'm there O.F.

[cannondale]

Inlaws showed up last night. But, with a few bottles I apparently left at their place last Xmas. So I guess that's a fair trade-off.

Aventinus eisbock, John By stout, St. Ambroise Vintage 2007 and....... Elora Irish ale. The first 3 were excellent after ~8 months hibernation in their basement fridge. The Elora is available for trade!

[old faithful]

I don't think I mentioned this earlier but recently at some relations in Providence, RI they presented me with a bottle of Tsarina Katarina that I brought there from the first batch (2 or 3 years ago now, it was the 2005). It had been kept cold since then. The beer was in perfect condition and tasted almost exactly like it did on release! It had perhaps a hair more "leather" taste but put next to the beer when first released no one would have noticed.

This surprised me because after a year or two in the bottle I find most beers do change in character, not always for the better. Sometimes the beer gets a sickly sweet, "cooked" taste I find hard to describe but know well from years of tasting.

Porters and stouts do though have a capacity to age very well, this was remarked by Michael Combrune in his mid-1700's brewing text A Treatise on Brewing.

I left one bottle there and will try it in two years from now.

By comparison, an American micro pale ale, I think it was Harpoon, stored at the same time, while drinkable, just wasn't what it was when purchased.

Gary

[boney]

Due to the crappy, rainy, cold, fall-like day outside, I decided to get a little more "toasty" than the wheat, PA, IPA brews I've been drinking for most of the summer.

Tonight I put down.....
-Neustadt Big Dog Porter
-Bells Kalamazoo Stout
-Brakspear Double Drop Bitter (this took a while to come my way)

Still raining outside, but at least I'm dry and satisfied.